I’ve been thinking about taking up HGV driving for a while now, however never really went through with the idea as I really wasn’t sure where to start and I thought I had found my career as a car mechanic - sadly, after experiencing what the trade is like firsthand, for one reason or another I don’t think it’s going to be something for me. I’m currently 19 years old, living just outside of London in Berkshire and I’ve always loved the idea of driving and exploring different areas of the country. I’ve been looking at doing work as a courier, however I think in the long run, HGV driving is where I should be looking and over the past few weeks I’ve been looking around on the internet at companies that offer HGV driving and I think it’s something I’d like to do.
I’ve been browsing this forum for a few days now and decided to sign up because you all seem like a friendly bunch of people, so I was hoping to get some advice/answers to some questions I have.
My biggest ‘fear’ I suppose is only being 19. Will this affect my employment chances? I’ve done some looking around and companies are wanting the ideal candidate to be 21+ for insurance purposes. I’ve only held my car licence for just over a year and a half, so I was just wondering if my age would go against me in the future if I was to apply for jobs once I have my licences.
Another thing I have on my mind is the initial cost outlay for the licence. I think I’m right in saying you need to get a CAT C licence in order to get a CAT C+E licence (correct me if I’m wrong), and I’ve found a company (hgvtraining.co.uk) that offer a package to get the CAT C and CAT C+E together for between £2000-4000. I’m just wondering what the most cost effective way to go is? Should I concentrate on getting my foot in the door and just go with a CAT C or should I bite the bullet and do both at the same time? I imagine the latter would make me a little bit more desirable to employers, however I’m not too sure. I’m aware that most companies like HGVTraining give you the chance to pay back in monthly installments however this leads me back to my first question about my employment chances. Is there a chance I could be in a situation where I’m paying £60 a month back whilst being unemployed for a licence I’m getting no use out of?
This next question could sort of be tied into the previous one however I’ll separate the two just for the sake of easy reading. A family friend is an HGV driver and he told me that sometimes companies will offer to pay for your HGV licence(s) providing you work for the company after you pass your training. In my head, this is probably a safer option as I’d be guaranteed employment whilst training for my licence. I just wondered if this is a thing and if it is, what companies offer this around the Berkshire area (if any) and what would be some of the pros and cons of going down this road?
Lastly, has anyone had an bad experiences with training companies? Are there any training companies I should avoid? Are there any training companies you would recommend? Is there anything else I should consider before diving into HGV driving?
This is my first post on this forum and it’s a pretty long one so I appreciate you guys having a read and I’d welcome any advice you guys might have.
I’ll be brief. The “trainer” you mention IS NOT A TRAINER!! They are a broker who will charge you the earth and deliver as little as possible over as long a period as they can get away with. They tend to use trainers who have no work (I wonder why that would be?) so don’t expect much.
You should only book having visited the trainer and satisfied yourself with the facilities and general set-up. You could, for a laugh, try to do this with the folks you mention. It wont happen! An alternative, used by many forum users, is to book on rock solid recommendation. Folks come to us from all over the UK and I don’t see negative feedback. We simply cant afford to get it wrong!
Yes, at 19, the odds are stacked against you but it’s not impossible.
Please don’t go into debt for this unless you can afford the payments from your current income. More doors will open if you have both C and CE - - but consider the repayments before jumping in.
Other trainers, us included, offer credit facilities that wont rip you off.
Have a good look at the Christmas Offer. You wont be able to beat it with comparable standards.
I’ve been thinking about taking up HGV driving for a while now, however never really went through with the idea as I really wasn’t sure where to start and I thought I had found my career as a car mechanic - sadly, after experiencing what the trade is like firsthand, for one reason or another I don’t think it’s going to be something for me. I’m currently 19 years old, living just outside of London in Berkshire and I’ve always loved the idea of driving and exploring different areas of the country. I’ve been looking at doing work as a courier, however I think in the long run, HGV driving is where I should be looking and over the past few weeks I’ve been looking around on the internet at companies that offer HGV driving and I think it’s something I’d like to do.
I’ve been browsing this forum for a few days now and decided to sign up because you all seem like a friendly bunch of people, so I was hoping to get some advice/answers to some questions I have.
My biggest ‘fear’ I suppose is only being 19. Will this affect my employment chances? I’ve done some looking around and companies are wanting the ideal candidate to be 21+ for insurance purposes. I’ve only held my car licence for just over a year and a half, so I was just wondering if my age would go against me in the future if I was to apply for jobs once I have my licences.
Another thing I have on my mind is the initial cost outlay for the licence. I think I’m right in saying you need to get a CAT C licence in order to get a CAT C+E licence (correct me if I’m wrong), and I’ve found a company (hgvtraining.co.uk) that offer a package to get the CAT C and CAT C+E together for between £2000-4000. I’m just wondering what the most cost effective way to go is? Should I concentrate on getting my foot in the door and just go with a CAT C or should I bite the bullet and do both at the same time? I imagine the latter would make me a little bit more desirable to employers, however I’m not too sure. I’m aware that most companies like HGVTraining give you the chance to pay back in monthly installments however this leads me back to my first question about my employment chances. Is there a chance I could be in a situation where I’m paying £60 a month back whilst being unemployed for a licence I’m getting no use out of?
This next question could sort of be tied into the previous one however I’ll separate the two just for the sake of easy reading. A family friend is an HGV driver and he told me that sometimes companies will offer to pay for your HGV licence(s) providing you work for the company after you pass your training. In my head, this is probably a safer option as I’d be guaranteed employment whilst training for my licence. I just wondered if this is a thing and if it is, what companies offer this around the Berkshire area (if any) and what would be some of the pros and cons of going down this road?
Lastly, has anyone had an bad experiences with training companies? Are there any training companies I should avoid? Are there any training companies you would recommend? Is there anything else I should consider before diving into HGV driving?
This is my first post on this forum and it’s a pretty long one so I appreciate you guys having a read and I’d welcome any advice you guys might have.
Hi, your age won’t make it impossible it will just be a bit harder than someone older, besides some companies ask to have held license for year or two but not driving experience so in long run it would still be beneficial.
You have to take cat c before you can advance to cat ce. A full cat c license gives you ce provisional entitlement so you wont need to complete any extra paperwork for ce. Price depends on how competent of a driver you currently are and how fast you pick things up.
If you have funding then do yourself, it gives you freedom to work anywhere. Doing an apprenticeship is fine but be aware you may not necessarily be happy once qualified with your pay,hours,type of work etc.
Thanks for all the feedback. The general consensus I’m getting from the first two replies to this thread are that as I thought, my age might be a small issue to potential employers. Would you guys recommend me revisiting an HGV licence in a few years time when I’m 21? Would that give me a more solid chance of finding employment after completing my licences?
ROG:
Have you checked out all the info contained within the link in my signature below
I’ve not had a chance to read through it yet, but I will. Thank-you!
Thanks for all the feedback. The general consensus I’m getting from the first two replies to this thread are that as I thought, my age might be a small issue to potential employers. Would you guys recommend me revisiting an HGV licence in a few years time when I’m 21? Would that give me a more solid chance of finding employment after completing my licences?
ROG:
Have you checked out all the info contained within the link in my signature below
I’ve not had a chance to read through it yet, but I will. Thank-you!
Think it depends how hungry you are for the new career. There’s at least two 18 year olds on this forum in hgv jobs.
Yes it’ll be harder but if you want it badly enough you’ll make it happen for yourself.
Hi there, just doing my evening duties through the forum looking for anyone I can help out. Welcome btw!
I’m 18 and I work full time, directly employed as a class 2 driver. Currently in the process of doing my class 1.
Being 19, your age will definitely play a factor in how ‘easily’ you’re able to find a job - but - as others have mentioned, it is by no means impossible.
Getting your C+E might make it easier to find cat C work, if you can’t find local C+E work.
Food distribution like Brakes and P&H take on new passes but I’m not sure if they have an age limit. The work can be quite physical though
Some work at airports take on new passes but they might also have an age limit. - For driving jobs airside, they usually require 5 years checkable background (Many say employment history but the referencing services will accept education references too) If your school and college could provide references - that might be an option?
If you like mechanics - perhaps roadside recovery could be an option?
January and February time seems a really quiet for finding work at agencies - or that’s what I have found anyway.
Thanks for all the feedback. The general consensus I’m getting from the first two replies to this thread are that as I thought, my age might be a small issue to potential employers. Would you guys recommend me revisiting an HGV licence in a few years time when I’m 21? Would that give me a more solid chance of finding employment after completing my licences?
I think this would be a sensible approach. In the meantime I’d look for a van driving job with a company that operates HGVs’. You’ll get a chance to see if driving suits you as a career option. You might also be able to persuade them to put you through your tests later. Be aware that your age an lack of experience will minimise opprtunities, however, and I hate to say this really, there are companies who have young driver schemes, such as…here goes…STOBRATS!
If you tell the good folks on here where you’re based I’m sure more useful information will be forthcoming. For what it’s worth the training school run by Mr Peter Smythe looks to be very properly set up. I have no connection with the man other than reading about him on here and I haven’t heard a bad word about him. That’s where my money would go if I was doing it myself.
Thanks for all the feedback. The general consensus I’m getting from the first two replies to this thread are that as I thought, my age might be a small issue to potential employers. Would you guys recommend me revisiting an HGV licence in a few years time when I’m 21? Would that give me a more solid chance of finding employment after completing my licences?
I think this would be a sensible approach. In the meantime I’d look for a van driving job with a company that operates HGVs’. You’ll get a chance to see if driving suits you as a career option. You might also be able to persuade them to put you through your tests later. Be aware that your age an lack of experience will minimise opprtunities, however, and I hate to say this really, there are companies who have young driver schemes, such as…here goes…STOBRATS!
If you tell the good folks on here where you’re based I’m sure more useful information will be forthcoming. For what it’s worth the training school run by Mr Peter Smythe looks to be very properly set up. I have no connection with the man other than reading about him on here and I haven’t heard a bad word about him. That’s where my money would go if I was doing it myself.
I’m based in the Berkshire area and I can travel to most places within that area. With regards to companies that operate both vans and HGV’s, the only company I have found are CTS Logistics based in Reading. Do you know of any others off the top of your head?
Google is your friend regarding job vacancies in your immediate area WFC. As a truck driver, you will be expected to ’ get on with the job ’ yourself, and if you have the wrong postcode, or struggling to find a place, common sense and a bit of effort will sort it out.
Not trying to bust your balls or anything mate, but members on here are unlikely to reel off lists of employers for you. Life helps those who help themselves
Lorry driving licence’s ’ guarantee ’ you a minimum level of income and once experienced, pretty much as much work as you could ever want, so from a ’ back-up ’ point of view a CE licence is a good thing.
But be aware, long hours, strain on relationships and potentially poor health are rife in this industry, so have a good think before you commit to the job because it’s not all driving in the sun whilst chomping on a yorkie.
Thanks for all the feedback. The general consensus I’m getting from the first two replies to this thread are that as I thought, my age might be a small issue to potential employers. Would you guys recommend me revisiting an HGV licence in a few years time when I’m 21? Would that give me a more solid chance of finding employment after completing my licences?
I think this would be a sensible approach. In the meantime I’d look for a van driving job with a company that operates HGVs’. You’ll get a chance to see if driving suits you as a career option. You might also be able to persuade them to put you through your tests later. Be aware that your age an lack of experience will minimise opprtunities, however, and I hate to say this really, there are companies who have young driver schemes, such as…here goes…STOBRATS!
If you tell the good folks on here where you’re based I’m sure more useful information will be forthcoming. For what it’s worth the training school run by Mr Peter Smythe looks to be very properly set up. I have no connection with the man other than reading about him on here and I haven’t heard a bad word about him. That’s where my money would go if I was doing it myself.
I’m based in the Berkshire area and I can travel to most places within that area. With regards to companies that operate both vans and HGV’s, the only company I have found are CTS Logistics based in Reading. Do you know of any others off the top of your head?
It’s not my part of the world bud. Berkshire is quite a big area. Care to narrow it down a bit?
